1 Agoraphobia

Agoraphobia is the Greek word for fear of a public place. An agora was a marketplace in ancient Greece where goods were sold and business was transacted. It was a combination shopping mall, courthouse, and grocery store. An agoraphobe was literally someone afraid of the market.

When I lived in Pittsburgh, I did not like going out and doing things. My common refrain or excuse was that I didn't want to wait in line. I was an impatient person and I hated the idea of waiting. I would admit to a mild agoraphobia. I did not like to go to public events because I did not like being surrounded by people. I would avoid things like the Strip and I hated going to the grocery store. Pirates games were an ideal event. There was plenty of room on all 4 sides.

Moving to New York has changed things. Going to the grocery store means waiting in line. Going anywhere means being surrounded by people on a bus or in the subway. Privacy and seclusion are not options for me. I have become used to the idea of being around a large group or groups of people. I don't mind going to the grocery store or riding the subway or getting on a bus. The enormous masses of people has been a boon. Anonymity is readily available and I think that is crucial to what motivates agoraphobia; a fear of being noticed. This is a truncated post since it was written over a weekend, when my motivation to write was low, but I would like to address this moving forward.